gilcrease



L. L. GILCREASE.

Patented N dv. 4, 1919.

2 SHEETS-snif; 1."

I'J v I ,l2 muni Z5 Ime/darf d. dile/figs@ entran Leaders.

Be it known that L'Lnonann L. Giaonnasn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Reno, in the county of Washoe and State of Nevada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Supports, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to supports and has particular reference to a support designed to be used as a means for supporting the axle of vehicles such as automobiles and the like when once raised to an elevated position by means of any oi the conventional types of jacks.

An important object of the invention is to provide lin a'device of the above mentioned character a means whereby various coperating elements thereof vmay be locked at a given position to retainthe`axle ot an automobile or other vehicle in'an elevated position, once having elevated the axle to a desired elevation by means of the conventional. jack.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the character' mentioned a means whereby certain elements thereof may be locked in a telescoped position when the device is not in use or is being transported as a part of the vehicle tool kit.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the character nientioned a means whereby certain. adjustments may be made of the several coperating elements thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which is compact. in structure, strong, durable and reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will he apparent during the course of the following description taken in oonnection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout ,the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevationl of the device -embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 1, certain elements thereof being shown in elevation, 4 f y Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken of Fig. l-at right-angles to the sectional View shown in Fig. 2,

specification of Letters atent. Y l

Ffatented Nov. el, inw;

v.appliceti'ion tiled .april 1l, 19M. Serial Iie. ftel.

reinforced by means of 4Webs 7 connecting the saine with the base 5. `Within the housing 6 there is arranged an elongated bar 8 adapted 'to mov-e longitudinally therein. The bar 8 is provided at its upper end with a head 9 upon which rests the axle ot the vehicle when the saine is elevated to a desired position by means of a jack or the like. rlhe bar S is further provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth l0 which are adapted to co act with a pawl l1 pivotally mounted 'within a secondary housing 12 secured. to and preferably cast integral with the housing 6. The pawl il comprises a tongue i3 and an arm lll, the end of the tongue'l being adapted to engage vthe ratchet teeth l0 while the arm la projects downwardly through the opening oi' the housing l2. The arn'i 14 enables one to manually release the tongue 13 :troni engagement with the ratchet teeth l() when it is desired to move the bar 18 to a lowered position. The pawl il is inserted into the housing l2 v`throiurh the opening l5 in assembling the device and is retained therein by means of a bolt or the like as shown at 16. lin order to normally retain the tongue '13 in engagement with the ratchet teeth l0 there is provided a substantially U-shaped spring 17, one end of which is bent around the tongue 13 and confined within grooves provided therein as shown at i8, the other end being positioned upon the wall of the housing 12 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

ln Fig. 5 have shown as a modiication 'a means whereby the tension of the spring at 26 to enable ,it-to he easily sprung away from, the ,housing (Stoz remove a lock pin 27 carried thereby from a recess 28 provided within the bar- 8.' in order to limit the downward. movement ot the bar 8 there' is provided within the lower end of thelbar a recess 29 into which the lock pin 27 passes under .the influence of the spring 24 when the bar 8 is moved a suiicient distance to bring the recess 29 into registration with the lock pin.

ln use, a jack of Vany conventional ty e is employed preferably on the' hub of t e wheel to elevate the axle to a desired elevation' whereupon the support embodying my invention is placed under the axle. The bar 8 is then moved vertically to bringrthe head 9 into engagement with the axle. The bar 8 is retained in an elevated position due to the engagement of the tongue 18 with the notches l0. The jack is then lowered and removed if desired, whereupon the entire load of the vehicle is supported upon the hea-d 9. By the use of the device embodying my invention, the necessity of reaching under the car, particularly when it is desired to lift the rear axle, is obviated. rlhe present day automobiles carrying fuel snpply tanks, tire and luggage carriers, etc., at the rear malte it Valmost impossible to operate the conventional ty y s of jack under the rear axle without su iecting ones Seli to `dirt and grease when it is desired. to

change a tire. By my invention ftlns diihcult task is made considerably easier'andcan be accomplished, as above pointed out,by first lifting the automobileA wheel from its hub by the conventional type of jack and then supporting the same by the device embodyl Leaders ing myvinvention, particularly adapted to be placed under the axle of the automobile.

My device is'adapted to be used not-only in the removal of tires but also as a means for enabling one to remove his car from a mndhole or the like. To do this the jack isemployed to lift lthe wheels from the hub 'whereupon the support embodying my invention is placed under the axle. The jack may be removed from the hub when the axle are t0 be taken as preferred examples ofl the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement ot parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim. i

Having thus described my. invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United i-States, is z A device of the character described comprising a housing, an elongated bar slidably mounted therein, said bar 'beinv provided with ratchet teeth, a secondary ousing secured to the first named housing, a pawl' pivotally secured within said secondary housing, said pawl belng adapted to engage said teeth whereby said bar is retained` in an elevated posit,` rn, a spring secured to said pawl for normally retaining the pawl in. engagement with said teeth, a -Wedge slidably mounted within said secondary housing,v said Wedge being in engagement with one end of said spring, and means for adjusting said wedge whereby the tensionv ofsaid spring is varied.

LEONARD Ll eiLcRsAsn. y 

